Sunday, September 24, 2006

I cannot believe this news story. So right after they finalized their divorce, this man kidnapped his ex-wife and their 2 year old daughter. While stuck in traffic in Baton Rouge, the man decided it would be a good time to start stabbing his ex-wife with a kitchen knife. Luckily, there was a police car stuck in traffic with them. The bleeding woman got out of the car and ran for help. While she was getting the cop's attention, her psychotic ex-husband stabbed their daughter in the head. Then he threw the toddler out of the car with the knife still in her head, and drove off, hitting his ex-wife before crashing into a building. Fortunately, the ex-wife and child are alive, but they are, clearly, in serious condition.

I wonder what could possess someone to do something like this. A 'normal' violent person abuses his/her partner in the privacy of their own home. When considering the permanent elimination of a partner, the typical villain makes an elaborate plan involving staged burglaries or kidnappings. Others simply suffocate, strangle, or drown their 'loved' ones. Sometimes they collaborate with a 3rd party, usually an illicit lover. Wealthy people may even hire hitmen. But not Jimmie Darnell Dixon.

Not the kind of man who'd let anyone else take credit for his work, Dixon ensured that the entire city of Baton Rouge would be witness to his rage. However, it appears the bystander effect would actually have allowed Dixon to escape, had the police not been stuck in traffic too. The article says that 'horrified motorists' simply 'looked on.' So there is another lesson to learn from this sad story other than not to get married: If you are ever being publicly stabbed, please focus on getting a specific person's attention, instead of just screaming "Help!" Consider screaming, "Hey you, [insert race] [insert gender] in the [insert car color and model] wearing the [insert outfit], help me -- I'm being stabbed!"